I sang a little while and then flew on.

A good friend had a loft just three blocks away over the tracks on Michigan Ave. What a great place. My girlfriend at the time got a fake ticket discovered while entering the stadium, We went back out and Jerry saves! While some kids were haggling over the $45 the young couple selling the one ticket were asking for, I handed the guy $50 and we were set! I got to say at this point in my show-going, I don't remember much of the music. I remember the Visions Of Johanna. That's it. Sorry folks, the band was not playing sets that were very memorable. I only can remember things that went on around the show.
SO...
A head after the show said he was selling balloons preshow. They had a network of heads on the lookout for cops. But, this one patty wagon with two cops came by and wanted some doses. What is a Dead Head to do? Somehow, the cops found some doses on the ground!? They ate them all. The head telling the story said they got way high! Told me their plate numbers and ID number on the wagon and that was that. BUT, we happened to see a patty wagon after hearing this story. It had the numbers on it and the cops filled the description given for them. What is a Head to do? We knocked on the door of the wagon. The cops did not really respond, so we knock some more. Finally, the driver snaps out of some daze and rolls down the window. He was not happy with us. We ask him a question and he can't form words to reply. The other cop never moved. His eyes were open, but he was elsewhere. We left. Those cops were not there man! They were so friggin' gone. We laughed our asses off. Sometimes the stories you hear out of a Dead Heads mouth!?!

Listening to the Chicago shows from the spring and summer of 94, I actually found myself pleasantly surprised by the quality of the playing. I'd even say, by any standard, 3/16/94 is a very good show and certainly one of the year's best. This show, too, is better than I would have expected. I don't need to rehash the criticism, it's already amply been said. I both agree and disagree with Mind Wonderin. Sure, this isn't Cornell 77 and it's not even five-star dead by 95 standards. But it's better than the one star. The nearly seventy-minute set two jam sequence (Saint->Terrapin->Drums/Space->O1->Visions) is positively enchanting. Peter Wendel listing the top 10 performances of Terrapin had this to say about this version: "Glimpses of glory! It’s Jerry’s second-to-last show ever, and he’s still got Terrapin’s number (vocals aside). The train put its brakes on for the last time. The whistle would scream no more." (For the others, see
http://songmango.com/dead-best-10-top-performances-of-terrapin-station/).

1st to the last show. Ignore the reviewers ranking this alongside Barton '77 as one of the best shows. If this is 5 stars, then either their reviews cannot be trusted or the Garcia sex tape is 3 stars. Maybe if you've only ever heard '94 and '95 ... Nope; this is still as one star as the band gets.

First Set. The first couple are almost average, but also kind of lax. As with most of '95, Bobby is actively trying to boost Sugaree, yet there are zero fireworks. Wang Dang isn't pitcha too bad and is one of the show's two not-nearly-as-dim spots, with Bobby circling Jer's riffs in support. Althea is a full-on struggle, with Jer losing his place several times. It's a relief when the lyrics are over and the end jam is reached. Queen Jane passes, but by Tennessee it's clear that lyrics are optional on the Jer songs. Weir plays acoustic for Eternity. The peak section is kind of flat - Bobby arranged this as the sister to Victim, so it needs that section to spiral up. Any momentum is killed by Dough Knees, which is a shrugged-off shuffle, and now the drummers are living in their own movies.

Second Set. Jer is barely representin' for China Cat and everybody has to be late on the beat to try to find him.
Rider has a nice bounce, but also sounds like it's their first time through, and they bail quickly. It's All Too Much is the last of 6 from Vince. Of these it's not bad, but it's in a questionable slot. By Saint of Circumstance, Jer has been pulled down in the mix. That doesn't save Terrapin from a trainwreck. Jer vamps, trying to recall the lyrics, but the end jam is slightly better. 17min of this - yet not long enough to find the confounded bridge. The highlight of most '95 shows, the drummers shake the stadium for nearly 15min. Space is nice & strange, albeit a bit pedestrian. The set peak is the Visions of Johanna. Not the best of the 8 times it was played, but the least dim spot in the show as Jer becomes earnest, remembers lyrics, and doesn't have to play much (compare to 4/22/86). Bobby does his best for Saturday Night, but Garcia blows almost every lyric for U.S. Blues.

1st Set:  D-
2nd Set: D+
Overall = 1 star

Highlights:
Nope.

SOURCES: There aren't many great sources, actually. There are AUDs pitched too fast and airy SBDs. However the Oade AUD is good, there is a good matrix (127736_nick), and a Miller SBD (miller_114363). Visions of Johanna is on Garcia Plays Dylan.

This show is terrible. It's the summer doldrums so I'm listening to to this final slog of shame. 7 July wasn't as bad as I was expecting ,but this, this show makes me sad.

My brother was living in ChicAgo - the band opened the show - jack straw And visions of Bob Dylan danced in our heads ! Great time ! Long live the Grateful Dead

Far too many old time heads have been locked out of these last shows. I look at stub hub and see people trying to sell parking passes for $200. This is really sad. For a band that inspired fans who gave out miracle tix, I'm sorry their last shows will go out this way. I'm hoping that most of us who go back over the long years will let those who are trying to rip people off hold their tickets till the very end.

who's trey?

You and 200 other thousand need a miracle. It truly would be a "miracle" like water from a stone type sh!t if you scored a ticket.

I have never asked for a miracle ticket and have always bought my own. I would like to go to one of the 5oth Anniversary shows and hoping someone who is on archives can help a brother out.
Please reply to klearjet@aol.com

Peace
Kevin

My last show. It was a blast. Thank you Charlie Miller for all the terrific soundboards!

Excellent sounding soundboard (waiting for the matix) for the last weekend with The Dead. Just hearing whatever the band is playing and knowing it's all comin' to a head, you just gotta love it for all that it is (not for what it isn't). The boys and Garcia sound was just fine (Garcia's voice a bit shakey but also fine). You don't miss your water until your well runs dry.
To think one month later from this final weekend of the long strange road trip, no more JG...sad.
So, to sum it all up (imo) the recording is the best available so far and the band gets full credit for another night of enjoyable entertainment.

Compared to the shows I saw in '95, this has moments of magic. Even the China>Rider has a nice energy level. Never hits the searing leads I knew and loved until 1988 or so, but still a nice version. Funny how every now and then Jerry would seem to resurface from the abysm and make you glad you made it to the show. Unfortunately, nothing's gonna bring him back. And all that's left are the fond memories.....

5 stars compared to most of 1995

but unrated b/c I wasn't there and can't really judge the vibe.

Merci Charlie Miller! Très bon enregistrement et bon concert du Dead. J'aime bien Visions of Johanna